Playlistings in Toronto for the Week of March 14th

Shows That Caught Our Eye in Toronto the Week of March 14th, 2016

Between the New Ideas Festival and the Mosaic Storytelling Festival, this week is rich not only in terms of festival theatre, but in cabarets too! We’ve got Mike’s picks for the week highlighted in red under the cut, so check them out!

Already Reviewed by Mooney on Theatre:

Watch Out Wildkat! and Swordplay: A Play of Swords. Sketch troupe Sex T-Rex performs two comedies in repertory: Watch Out WildKat, a saddle ride through the Wild West; and Swordplay, a swashbuckling adventure set in a video game from the 1990s. Mar 11-27, Wed-Sat 7:30 & 9 pm, mat Mar 13 & 20 at 2 pm. $20 per show, $30 for both. Show Info.

Pyaasa by Anusree Roy (TPM). The playwright performs her solo show about an 11-year old untouchable girl dealing with India’s discriminatory caste system. Previews Mar 3-6, opens Mar 7 and runs to Mar 27, see website for schedule. $17-$38, mat pwyc at the door. In the TPM Backspace. Show Info.

The Just. Soulpepper presents the play by Albert Camus in a new translation by Bobby Theodore. Terror stalks the Russian elite in this play based on the true story of the assassination of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in 1905. Mar 5-26, see website for details. Show Info.

The Space Betweenby Simeon Taole (Cinematoscape/North York Arts). A boy in South Africa longs to reunite with his childhood sweetheart in Canada in this solo show. Mar 17-18, Thu-Fri 8 pm, mat Fri 1 pm. $25. Show Info.

Kinky Boots by Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper (Mirvish). A man inherits a shoe company and teams up with a drag queen in this musical based on the 2005 film. Previews from Jun 16, opens Jun 28 and runs to May 15th, 2016 (extended from Dec 20), Tue-Sat 8 pm, see website for other times. $35-$130. Show Info.

Great Balls of Fire. Famous People Players presents a black light dinner theatre show featuring iconic rock n’ roll anthems. Opens Jan 15 and runs to May 31, see website for times. $40-$65 (includes lunch/dinner). Show Info.

Blood Wedding. Soulpepper Theatre presents the play by Federico García Lorca, translated by Guillermo Verdecchia. A young couple’s engagement rekindles buried passions and threatens a deep-seated blood feud in a small rural town. Mar 2-Apr 9, see website for details. Show Info.

Jitters by David French (Soulpepper Theatre). This play-within-a-play looks at the comedic catastrophes of opening night. Mar 2-Apr 6, see website for details. Show Info.

A Line in the Sand by Guillermo Verdecchia and Marcus Youssef (Factory Theatre). An unlikely friendship between a Canadian soldier and a Palestinian teen takes a tragic turn. Previews Mar 8-10, opens Mar 11 and runs to Mar 27, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $35. Studio. Show Info.

A Man Vanishes by Greg MacArthur (Videofag). A Montreal man disappears, surfaces in Toronto with no recollection of his life and moves in with an artist couple, then disappears again a month later. March 10-20, see website for schedule. $25, stu $20. Show Info.

The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui. The Arts, Culture and Media Department of the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) presents the play by Bertolt Brecht. A 1930s Chicago gangster ruthlessly disposes of his opposition in this darkly comic satire of Hitler’s rise to power. Opens Mar 10 and runs to Mar 19, Thu-Sat 8 pm. $10, stu/srs $8. In the Leigha Lee Browne Theatre. Show Info.

In Search of Cruise Control by James Gangl (Gangland Productions). Gangle performs his solo comedy show about giving his teenage nephew a sex talk and coming to terms with his own sexual miseducation. Opens Mar 10 and runs to Mar 26, Thu-Fri 9 pm (except Mar 25 at 8 pm), Sat 8 pm. $15, stu $12. Show Info.

The Public Servant by Jennifer Brewin, Haley McGee, Sarah McVie and Amy Rutherford (Nightwood Theatre/Common Boots Theatre). An idealistic young civil servant prepares to write her first official memo. Previews Mar 13 and 15, opens Mar 16 and runs to Apr 3, see website for schedule. $18-$35. Show Info.

Superdude and Doctor Rude. Family-friendly musical sketch revue featuring a world where kids make the rules. Mar 14-18 at 1:30 pm. $14, family pack $45. Show Info.

A Dream Play by August Strindberg, in a new version by Caryl Churchill (Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts). A girl from another world comes to Earth and is caught up in the sufferings and cruelties of mankind. Opens Mar 15 and runs to Mar 19, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat 2 pm. $22. Show Info.

Gig (Craig Martin). This original musical looks at five singers and their quest for the lights, alongside two booking agents and their quest for the money. Opens Mar 15 and runs to Mar 20, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm. $30-$59. Show Info.

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles (Mirvish). This multimedia show recreates performances from the 60s and 70s. Mar 15-20, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Wed, Sat-Sun 2 pm. $32-$119. Show Info.

On Top by Daniel Karasik (The On Top Collective). An Iraq War veteran and his neoconservative scholar wife roam landscapes of power and try to figure out who’s in charge. Opens Mar 15 and runs to Mar 20, Tue-Wed & Sat 8 pm, Thu-Fri 9:30 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $12. In the WorkSpace. Show Info.

The Goose Girl. Little Red Theatre presents a story based on a Norwegian folk tale, about a goose girl who falls in love with a sweet boy. Suitable for ages 4-11. Mar 16 at 3 pm. $11, child $9. Show Info.

Let’s Talk About (Julia Krauss & Nicholas Walsh). A fusion of dialogue, movement, and dance theatre is used to explore the intimate relationships of young couples. Mar 16-20, Wed-Fri 7 pm, Sat-Sun 2 pm. $20, stu/srs $15. In the Rehearsal Hall. Show Info.

Leading Ladies by Ken Ludwig (Stage Centre Productions). Two struggling actors try to con a wealthy old lady into leaving them her fortune in this mistaken identities comedy. Opens Mar 17 and runs to Mar 26, Wed-Sat 8 pm, mat Mar 20 and 26 at 2 pm. $30, stu/srs $25. Show Info.

Sweet Swan of Avon: Shakespeare’s Saints & Sinners. The Musicians In Ordinary present live music and readings from Hamlet, Macbeth and others, to mark 400 years since William Shakespeare’s death. Mar 19 at 8 pm. $20-$30. Show Info.